What European nation took control of the Congo?
On February 5, 1885, Belgian King Leopold II established the Congo Free State by brutally seizing the African landmass as his personal possession. Rather than control the Congo as a colony, as other European powers did throughout Africa, Leopold privately owned the region.
How was rubber collected in the Congo?
The rubber came from wild vines in the jungle, unlike the rubber from Brazil (Hevea brasiliensis), which was tapped from trees. To extract the rubber, instead of tapping the vines, the Congolese workers would slash them and lather their bodies with the rubber latex.
Who exploited the Congo?
King Leopold II
How many did Belgium kill in Congo?
10 million people
Does Congo have diamonds?
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has large reserves of cobalt, gold, gems, copper, timber, and uranium. However, the most valuable resource that the DRC possess is its large reserve of diamonds. Diamonds essentially serve as a pillar to the DRC’s struggling economy.
Why is Congo so rich?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is widely known to be the wealthiest country in the world, in untapped resource wealth and has an estimated US$24 trillion in untapped mineral deposits, including the world’s largest reserves of coltan (where elements niobium and tantalum are extracted) and significant …
What is Congo known for?
Congo is rich in natural resources. It boasts vast deposits of industrial diamonds, cobalt, and copper; one of the largest forest reserves in Africa; and about half of the hydroelectric potential of the continent.
What is the capital of Congo?
Kinshasa
Why was the Congo the last to be colonized?
Under Leopold II’s administration, the Congo Free State became a humanitarian disaster. By 1908, public pressure and diplomatic manoeuvres led to the end of Leopold II’s personal rule and to the annexation of the Congo as a colony of Belgium, known as the “Belgian Congo”.